As Rome prepares to preside over the funeral of Pope Francis, Italy inspires a wide range of security programs to ensure the safety of all participants.
On April 26, 2025, Rome will be subject to strict security as the Vatican will celebrate Funeral of Pope Francis. On this occasion, 160 international delegations, including about 50 state heads and 10 monarchs, will arrive in the city to participate in the event and join more than 200,000 people.
Italian law enforcement agencies and armed forces are working to grant the activity security, establishing a flightless area in Rome with snipers on the roof, 4,000 officers on the ground, anti-UAS teams and air defense missile destroyers near the coast. This extensive operation is being coordinated closely with the Italian civil affairs department and involves the national security forces, Italian police, Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza (customs police) (customs police), the army, navy and the air force to jointly establish a protective “dome” in capital.
Focus on aviation surveillance safety programs
During Pope Francis’ funeral, airspace restrictions imposed around Rome are part of a comprehensive, layered defense system that is active from 12:00 UTC on April 25 to 20:00 UTC on April 26 (estimated). The first layer of this safety machine is to build more than one centered Rome. The area acts as a primary filter, allowing authorities to monitor and identify any incoming aircraft.
Whitin, a 35 nm circle centered on Rome will prohibit flights to all VFR (Visual Flight Rules) aircraft and drones. The strictest restriction is to create a no-fly zone in Rome with a radius of 6.5 nm. Reserved areas were also established for patrol aircraft to enforce restrictions.
These measures are in High-profile events Just like the G7 summit, strict aviation safety is crucial. For real-time airspace monitoring, the Italian Air Force deployed a suite of advanced airborne assets that can quickly respond to any potential threats.
Fighter jets ensure airspace safety
To ensure a quick response to any potential air threats during the ceremony, Italian Air Force fighters will be appointed to pass Notam (notify the pilot), limit the airspace and facilitate action. Airborne assets will strengthen the already active daily quick response alert battery, which can respond within minutes if airspace violations are violated.
The aircraft assigned to this mission is Eurof F-2000 Typhoon and the F-35A Lightning II, the Italian Air Force’s most advanced air advantage platform. These assets are expected to be deployed from major operating bases across the country.
The most likely bases to participate are Amendola, Gioia del Colle and Grosseto, Pratica di Mare May be involved in pre-basic or alternatives. While the intercept will be conducted by aircraft in the aircraft assigned to the CAP mission, other aircraft will be ready to compete if needed.
All fighter jets participating in the operation will be equipped with on-site ammunition, including short and medium air-to-air missiles. This configuration allows pilots to respond effectively to possible threats. Furthermore, in highly sensitive international activities, the presence of armed fighters is an effective and tangible deterrent to any potential hostile or unauthorized action, expected to attract large crowds and numerous VIPs.
Slow interceptor role
Even if the above-mentioned fighter assets are very effective against slower aircraft such as light aircraft and helicopters, the Italian Air Force will use a specially designed second layer of defense to fight against it.”Slow movementThe threat may attempt to penetrate restricted airspace around Rome. Each Italian Air Force CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) squadron deployed the HH-139 to Pratica di Mare to support ongoing operations.
In fact, HH-139 Helicopter Slow mobile interception tasks have been assigned and strategically deployed to monitor and intercept low-speed aircraft in designated safety perimeters. The helicopters are also equipped with visual communication panels, if the hollow team cannot establish nonverbal contact with the intercepted aircraft via radio.
In case further upgrades are needed, the HH-139 can perform air-to-air engagement, thanks to the professional crew known as the “slow Mover Mover Interceptor operator.” These operators are specially trained to use precision weapons that neutralize slow threats.
When aiming at an aircraft in an aircraft, using a sniper rifle on a mobile platform is not easy, even when traveling at a low speed, training operators are trained to hit designated targets on the aircraft, such as engines, to force emergency landings. The goal is always to be safe and neutralizing threats, thus reducing the risk to locals.
Monitoring curtains
The G-550 CAEW (Conformal Air Boarding Alert) belonging to the 71st Squadron of Pratica di Mare Air Force Base will closely monitor the airspace with its surveillance capabilities. If it is necessary to use in combination with CRC (Control and Reporting Center), CAEW will guide the fighter during the “zombie” intercept (because the interceptor’s target is to speak with the fighter) or verified threats against capital during activities related to the Pope’s funeral.
To complete real-time images and provide extended coverage of ground motion, the Italian Air Force will also deploy MQ-9A Predator b (ITAF has not yet adopted the name “Reaper”) Remote Flying Aircraft (RPA). According to the established transit corridor (notify pilots) published in Notams, the Predator will operate Amendola and Sigonella, where the 28th and 61st squadrons are based, respectively, collect real-time intelligence to support security machines that closely monitor events.
In addition to the Italian Air Force helicopters, the police helicopters, Carabinieri and Customs will continue to monitor the situation of the crowd and ensure the highest level of safety. Since the Pope’s death, the helicopters have been following all the actions in the area to allow the mourners to safely arrive at St. Peter’s Basilica, where the funeral will be celebrated there.
Thanks to their advanced sensors, helicopters have the ability to provide guidance to field operators in emergencies. The helicopters are also responsible for transporting operators of special forces, such as GIS (Special Forces of Gruppo Insteen Speciale-Italian Carabinieri) and NOCS (nucleo operativo Centrale di Sicurezza – Italian Police Station) to target possible threats on the ground.
More than 4,000 police officers will be joined by 2,500 civil volunteers and will monitor the area and support those who will attend the event. Already ready to better manage the enormous access to people at St. Peter’s Basilica to reduce the risk of dangerous situations.
In addition, the Italian Navy is adopting Caio Duilio guides missile destroyer As a surveillance and missile defense asset. The ship is located near the coast near Fiumicino.
Next Generation Threat – Anti-UAS Operations
A less obvious protection is targeting emerging emerging threats, such as small drone systems, assigned to the Italian Air Force’s dedicated force protection department and the 16th wing of the Italian army, “Fucilieri Dell’aria”. Operators are eligible for c-uas (Anti-Unmanned Aviation System) Mission benefited from the use of radar detection systems, electrical sensors and electronic interception equipment to suppress UAV flights.
These advanced assets are strategically deployed in Rome and the Vatican City to ensure the highest level of security in sensitive areas. Drone threats have been at the center of many large disruptions because their capabilities benefit from their tiny size. For example, in recent years, small drones have blocked air traffic for hours at Heathrow Airport.
These emitted high-intensity electromagnetic pulses are technically called portable electromagnetic deterrent systems, which cut off links to pilot controls at the same frequency used to control the drone. This way, the drone can be safely neutralized by activating emergency mode, which can return the drone to the origin or land it in its current location.
The Sky of Rome Welcomes the World: Head of State Comes to the Funeral of Pope Francis
The Roman sky witnessed the extraordinary fusion of global air traffic. Continuous parades of national and diplomatic aircraft representing almost every continent have been steadily arriving, with everyone carrying world leaders, monarchs and VIPs who ultimately respect.
To manage these high-profile arrivals, Italian authorities have designated Rome Ciampino AirportRome’s Fimicino Airport and Platiga Dimar Air Force Base, serve as the official entrance point for the state delegation. These facilities are designed to handle complex logistics associated with such a large and high-profile arrival
As of now, about 64 aircraft participating in the delegation have been found at flight tracking locations to Rome. A total of 160 delegations are expected to attend the ceremony to reflect the scale of international participation.
Below you can see the screen shot by Itamilradar using ADS-B, highlighting more than a dozen government flights to the Rome region.
Dozens of official delegations will arrive at the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, which will be held tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/7eqan1djcn
– Itamilradar (@itamilradar) April 25, 2025
